Welcome to a new study of Matthew's Gospel, a collaborative effort between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley.
For one year of her life, Mary was too sick and weak to stray far from her bed. During that year, she read the New Testament and took notes on each of the books. Mary realizes that God used that time to bring her to faith in Jesus Christ. At some point during her reading of Scripture, Mary claimed Jesus as her Savior. From then on, her life took a different direction. Read Mary's testimony.
We will use Mary's study notes and Alice will add some notes of historical and anthropological relevance.
Before you begin, read Matthew, Chapter 4. After you read the chapter, answer the 10 questions. Check your answers by scrolling to the bottom of the page.
Introduction
Matthew chapter 4 opens with the dramatic scene of Jesus' temptation by the devil, also known as Satan, the accuser. As Jesus was without sin, Satan had no way to manipulate him. This narrative is for our benefit. It speaks of the testing that every Believer must endure.
The devil's tactics are revealed in this account. Twice he raises doubt about Jesus' identity as the Son of God (Matt. 4:3 and 4:6). The Devil says, "IF you are the Son of God..." and yet God the Father declared Jesus to be his son at Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3:16-17).
The Devil is up to his old tricks. In the Garden he cast doubt in Eve's mind concerning God's word. We may entertain those doubts, or we may listen to a more wonderful word. 1 John 3:8 says, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." 1 John 5:5 adds this: "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
The Devil attempts to redirect adoration of God to worldly things: money, ambition, vain glory, etc. He also tempts with food which is why some Church Fathers point to Eve's eating the forbidden fruit as an act of gluttony. Gluttony is delighting in food more than delighting in God and his word. Jesus exposes this tactic of the devil by affirming that God is the source of all nourishment (Matt. 4:4).
From a lofty position, the devil urges Jesus to cast himself down. Note that the devil uses Scripture to tempt. He quotes Psalm 91:11-12: "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus dismisses the devil by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16. He says, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." Jesus simply says, "Be gone, Satan".
The devil is a fallen angel, a creature. The creature is subject to God even when in rebellion against God.
After his time in the wilderness, Jesus returned to Galilee. He had heard that John the Baptizer was in prison. Jesus took up John's message, calling people to repent in preparation for the coming Kingdom.
While in Galilee, Jesus called two sets of brothers to follow him. These were Andrew and his brother Peter, and James and John, the Sons of Zebedee.
By now, word of the miracles performed by Jesus had spread and people came to him from near and far.
Matthew, Chapter 4
1. Who led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted or tested?
2. How long was Jesus in the wilderness?
3. What nourished Jesus during his time of fasting?
4. Where did the devil take Jesus to show him the kingdoms of this world?
5. What happened to Jesus after the devil left him?
6. How did Jesus react to the news of John's imprisonment?
7. Where did Jesus go after he heard of John's imprisonment?
8. What was the line of work of Jesus' first four disciples?
9. Where did Jesus teach while in Galilee?
10. Great crowds followed Jesus, including many who were sick. Who did Jesus heal?
Answers
1. The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tested. The testing was for our benefit that we might more easily recognize the Tempter's tactics.
2. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. The phrase "40 days and 40 nights" expresses the completion of a cycle or the fulfillment of an appointed duration of time. The rain came down on Noah for 40 days and forty nights. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. The phrase "40 days and 40 nights" refers to the flood cycle of the Nile River. The Nile flooded for 40 days. Once it crested, the people who had left their homes had to wait 40 nights before returning home. The phrase reflects the Nile River culture.
The Book of Daniel is rich in number symbolism and has a Babylonian context. However, the number 40 is not one of the symbolic numbers in Daniel. The Euphrates and Tigris rivers of Babylon did not have a 40-day flood cycle followed by a 40-night period during which the waters receded.
3. Jesus was nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Those who love God are to live by every word that proceeds from God. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 - "He humbled you and let you hunger, and fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that humankind does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord".
4. The Devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and showed him the kingdoms of the world in all their glory. In this last temptation, the devil seeks to be worshipped by the Christ. He seeks to invert the divine order of things, elevating himself above the Righteous One (Acts 7:52). This tactic was employed in the Garden also. In listening to the creature rather than to the Creator, Eve was subjected to a creature of the lowest estate (a belly-crawling serpent). She exchanged her natural glory as the crown of creation for an unnatural state. The devil tempts us to trespass against the divine order of creation.
5. Angels came and ministered to him. The New Testament mentions two occasions when Jesus received the ministry of angels: after the dismissal of the devil in the wilderness, and in the Garden of Gethsemane during Jesus' agonizing prayer before his crucifixion (Luke 22:43).
6. From that time on Jesus began to preach "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." He took up what had been John's message.
7. He left Judea for Galilee and his home in Nazareth. Then he left Nazareth and traveled through the regions along the Mediterranean Sea where there were many Gentiles. Matthew declares that this fulfills something foretold by the Prophet Isaiah (Is. 9:2): "the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
8. Andrew, Peter, James and John were fishermen. In Mark 1:16-20, Jesus invites these 4 disciples to follow him and "fish for people."Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
Matthew Chapter 7: Entering by the Narrow Gate
Matthew Chapter 8: The Uniqueness of Jesus
Matthew Chapter 9: Christ the Compassionate Lord
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